For a week now there has been some form or another of "crowing" going on in my backyard! By Tuesday he actually was getting it down and it sounded more like a "cockle doodle doo!" than a "bah". Even as little chicks this one was the "Queen of the Hen house!" Little did I know. I name this one Lucy, it just seemed to me to fit, but on Friday I started calling him Louie. It has been amazing to me how quickly he has become mean! He would peck at me before, but now he is out to kill! On Wednesday night I took the little chicks out to be outside and get some grass time, but also to see how the other hens would take to them. I opened the run to let the chickens out.
Louie was right there leading the pack. He quickly came over to the chicks to investigate, or so I thought. The next thing I knew he had one of the chicks by the neck and was giving it a good swing. I immediately yelled NO! I swatted him away and quickly rescued the chick. I swatted at him again and pushed him back in the run. I didn't want him getting to my chicks or at my Madi! The whole thing scared Madi a bit and my heart was pumping as well.
Ever since Thursday I have been wondering what to do with him. Kill him and eat him, give him away... decisions, decisions, decisions. Well yesterday morning he crowed for like what seemed 45 minutes. (Side note: This has been good and bad. Once he starts crowing my brain starts thinking and therefore I wake up and get up. Sadie in particular has liked this as I have taken her for a walk almost every morning since then. She had forgotten what early morning walks with mom was like!) After what seemed like him crowing forever I said to Brice "That rooster has to go!"
I still hadn't made a decision of what to do with him. I talked to Kayla in my ward (she has had two roosters as well) about it last night at Relief Society. Anyway once I got home from RS I was talking to our neighbors two houses down, Corby and Corinne. Corby has chickens where he works and said that he has a co-worker that took roosters. He told me to put him in a box and put him in the back of the truck and he would take him to work with him. All night I fretted! Could I do this? Was it the best option? If I killed him (or had someone kill him) could I really eat him?
This morning I went out to feed and change the water before going to work. As I opened the hatch to get the water can here came Louie. Actually he was pacing back and forth in the run as he saw me coming toward the coop. I haven't let them out in the yard since I found out he was a rooster. I don't have my garden fenced in, and I don't want Louie to get at Madi. Anyway, they are wanting to wander the yard! So I reached in this morning to get the water and Louie pecked my hand. He did it hard too! He broke the skin and caused a bruise. And I was feeling bad! It instantly made my decision. Louie had to go! There was no way I wanted him to do that to Madison.
I went and got a box out of the recycling can, wrestled him into it and walked him down the street. I set the box in the tool box in the back of Corby's truck (I wanted him to see the box) and looked in the handle of the box. That mean rooster looked back at me. I said to him "I loved you in the beginning, but now you have become so mean. I don't know what your fate is, but goodbye!" I then walked back to my house. As I left for work Corby's truck was gone.
Brice called me about 9:30 am and said "Those chickens are so happy to have him gone! They are out running around the run and sunning themselves!" I guess I made the right choice for everyone.
I think I have another rooster. I guess time will tell if this little dude starts crowing. I would keep him around if he isn't mean, but I just can't have an animal that pecks at and hurts my baby! She is my priority. I will just have to find a way to get out of bed on my own!
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